Purpose
To assess whether an institution’s governance is narrative, partial, or enforced, using observable structure rather than stated intent.

Scoring Method
Each domain is scored 0–3.
Total possible score: 30.

  • 0 = Not present / purely narrative
  • 1 = Present but discretionary
  • 2 = Partially enforced, bypassable
  • 3 = Mechanically enforced, non-bypassable

1. Mechanical Constraint (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ Rules exist only as policy or guidance
  • 1 ☐ Rules enforced procedurally but bypassable
  • 2 ☐ Technical enforcement exists with override paths
  • 3 ☐ Technical enforcement with no discretionary override

2. Fail-Closed Behavior (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ System proceeds under ambiguity
  • 1 ☐ Warnings issued, action allowed
  • 2 ☐ Action blocked but bypassable
  • 3 ☐ Action refused with no bypass

3. Authority Boundaries (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ Authority defined informally
  • 1 ☐ Authority documented but flexible
  • 2 ☐ Authority encoded with exceptions
  • 3 ☐ Authority encoded, bounded, immutable

4. Override Capability (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ Overrides common and undocumented
  • 1 ☐ Overrides allowed with explanation
  • 2 ☐ Overrides logged but discretionary
  • 3 ☐ Overrides structurally unavailable

5. Verification Artifacts (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ Compliance asserted verbally
  • 1 ☐ Reports and attestations provided
  • 2 ☐ Technical evidence exists but fragmented
  • 3 ☐ Single canonical, inspectable artifact

6. Audit Independence (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ Audit depends on testimony
  • 1 ☐ Audit assisted by internal staff
  • 2 ☐ Partial independent verification
  • 3 ☐ Full independent verification possible

7. Managerial Discretion Reliance (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ Governance depends on “good judgment”
  • 1 ☐ Judgment expected in edge cases
  • 2 ☐ Judgment constrained but necessary
  • 3 ☐ Judgment removed from governance layer

8. Scope Control (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ Scope defined aspirationally
  • 1 ☐ Scope documented but flexible
  • 2 ☐ Scope enforced with exceptions
  • 3 ☐ Scope locked; expansion requires reauthorization

9. Crisis Behavior (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ Governance suspended in crises
  • 1 ☐ Governance relaxed informally
  • 2 ☐ Governance partially holds
  • 3 ☐ Governance unchanged under stress

10. Drift Detection (0–3)

  • 0 ☐ Drift discovered post-failure
  • 1 ☐ Drift suspected informally
  • 2 ☐ Drift monitored inconsistently
  • 3 ☐ Drift structurally prevented

Score Interpretation

  • 0–10: Narrative Governance
    High latent risk. Legitimacy collapses under pressure.
  • 11–20: Partial Enforcement
    Predictable drift. Failures delayed, not prevented.
  • 21–30: Enforced Governance
    Legitimacy preserved. Failures legible and contained.

Inspector’s Note

A score above 21 is rare.
Claims of enforcement without corresponding scores indicate governance theater.